Damaged Dreams
by TivaAPLightning
Summary: 11 months after corporate burnout and a tumultuous relationship drove CM Punk out of WWE, he decides to return to the squared circle. What will be in store for the straightedge superstar? AJ/Punk. Set in 2013
1. Chapter 1

Damaged Dreams Chapter 1: The Return

 **"...** _Pipe bomb criticizing upper management"_

 _"I don't wear a white hat"_

 _"CM Punk is WWE Champion"_

 _"The BEST in the world"_

 _"Controversial relationship with a WWE diva"_

 _"Biggest Test of his eight month title reign"_

 _"...Has walked out"_

 _"...Citing burn-out and disagreements with Chief Executive Officer..."_

 _"Stripped of his WWE Championship"_

 _"Quitters like CM Punk"_

 _"John Cena wins his eleventh title!"_

 _"Known for her relationship with the former WWE champion"_

 _"...Now calls himself "The Showoff"_

 _"New WWE power couple"_

 _"... Unlikely to ever step foot inside a ring again"_

 _"Dolph was the best decision I've ever made"_

 _"Tainted legacy, to be sure"_

It had been 336 days since CM Punk had last stepped foot in a WWE ring. Now, as he found himself standing outside the Allstate Arena, he couldn't help but think about his wrestling career. 2 years in IWA: Mid South, 3 years in Ring of Honor, and 7 grueling years in WWE.

"You ready to do this?" came a voice from beside Punk. The source was the first person he told when he decided to return to the squared circle. His mentor, his confidante, and the only person who always had his back, Paul Heyman.

"Never been more ready," Punk responded in a matter-of-fact tone. It was time for Punk to return to the only place he could reliably call home. As for why he left in the first place? That was a complicated matter.

For a professional wrestler, CM Punk had done pretty well for himself. No one would begrudge him for leaving to take better care of his body. He had made his money. He had won championships. He reached what could be considered the pinnacle of the industry. But for the quiet, straightedge superstar, none of that mattered. He didn't walk out of WWE because of disagreements with management.

Not this time.

2012 belonged to a certain brunette, who always had the narcissistic ex-superstar's heart, not that he would ever admit it. Make no mistake about it; Punk's self-imposed sabbatical (as he liked to describe it) was the result of AJ Lee, his 'crazy' ex-girlfriend. Could he even call her an ex-girlfriend? They had a pretty unique relationship, one that started in a hallway and ended with a 3 count at Money in the Bank.

 _Money in the Bank_. His last appearance in WWE and not so coincidentally, the last time he locked eyes with AJ Lee. It had been 11 months since that night but it seemed like just yesterday.

 _Flashback_

 _No one dared to interrupt the weary WWE champion as he made his way through the backstage area. Despite a slight limp and welts covering his back, the champion looked as determined as ever. Punk didn't bother to knock as he reached the office of WWE's chairman._

 _Punk always had a special relationship with Vince McMahon. Often criticized as out-of-touch, and driven only by financial gain, Vince was not close with many of the superstars in the back. Every stereotype has some truth rooted in it but Punk could appreciate the immense contributions Vince had made to the wrestling world. Furthermore, Vince cared about his superstars if you gave him a chance._

 _Eccentric? Sure. A stubborn bastard? Absolutely. But so was his mercurial champion and that gave way to their complex relationship that had improved significantly over the last year. Punk would be woken up at 4:00 A.M because Vince wanted to run an idea by him. Most would mind but Punk wasn't most men. That is how he found himself inside the chairman's office at the conclusion of Money in the Bank._

 _If Vince was startled to see his champion barge into his office, he didn't show it. Slowly taking off his glasses, Vince motioned to the chair in front of his desk. Punk took a seat, with a slight wince to show for it._

 _"What's on your mind, Punk?" Vince asked with genuine concern._

 _"I'm tired, Vince" he replied._

 _"Such is the nature of the job. You knew this was coming when you re-signed last year"_

 _"There were some aspects that were unpredictable"_

 _"You mean AJ?"_

 _"That's not what I said"_

 _"But it's what you meant, is it not?"_

 _Punk was silent for a moment. His on-again, off-again 'relationship' with AJ Lee had been a source of tension for quite some time now._

 _"Vince, I couldn't even focus tonight. I'm in the ring with the best goddamn wrestler in this industry and I can't take my eyes off the referee."_

 _"I can't get rid of her, Punk. She makes us a lot of money, not to mention she's the most popular diva we've had in years."_

 _"I'm not asking you to do that, Vince. I just can't keep going on like this."_

 _"Punk, you're my guy. I picked you to be the guy but now you're disappointing me. You've been going on about this for 3 months now. It's time to put up or shut up. Make a decision and stick to it" Vince shouted emphatically. "Enough with this half-measure shit. I can't be having you running around like a lovesick puppy dog."_

 _"What, are you calling me a little bitch, now?" countered an irritated Punk._

 _"No, I'm telling you to man up. Stop making excuses to try and start an argument with me."_

 _"Excuses? Are you kidding me? You're one to talk. How many 'business dinners' have you had with female staff this year, huh?_

 _"Be careful Punk, and remember who you're talking to" Vince warned. "I'm still your boss."_

 _"Well, maybe I'm tired of listening to you" Punk yelled back._

 _"Oh, so what are you going to do, huh? You want to walk out? Go ahead, walk out! Oh, I'm sorry, did you want your 15 minutes of fame in Las Vegas first?"_

 _"Screw you, Vince. Don't you dare try and take credit for what I did last year. I turned myself into a commodity. That's on me, not you"_

 _"Because I took a chance on you in the first place, Punk. Don't forget where you came from"_

 _"I sure as hell didn't come from you, Vince. I came from Ring of Honor, from Mid-South, from my own damn backyard. I survived without you before I came to WWE and I sure as hell will survive without it."_

 _"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"_

 _"Maybe I am"_

 _The room suddenly became very quiet as both men struggled to collect their composure._

 _"Punk, if you walk out the door...There won't be a spot for you when you decide to stop sitting on your ass in Chicago. Not here, not in TNA, and not in AJ's heart." Vince deadpanned._

 _Punk leaned in to get in his soon-to-be-ex-boss'-face._

 _"See you in hell" Punk replied and slapped his championship on Vince's desk, startling him a bit. Punk turned around and walked out of the office without a word._

 _In true Punk fashion, he put on a straight face and went to the locker room to collect his stuff. Entering the room, Punk nearly ran into the man he traded blows with an hour ago: Daniel Bryan. Punk had hoped to leave in peace but clearly karma had it in for him tonight._

 _"Hey Punk, about tonight..." Daniel started but was cut off quickly._

 _"Bryan, I'm really not in the mood to kick your ass here." Punk retorted_

 _Bryan put his hands up in a sign of self-defense. "Not here to start anything. To end it, actually" he continued._

 _"You won, fair and square. Both the title and AJ. I'm done trying to interfere. I respect the hell out of you, Punk. And I look forward to earning another shot at you for Summerslam"_

 _Bryan stuck his hand out as a gesture of respect. Punk was conflicted but could see the good intentions of the man in front of him, and shook his hand._

 _"I doubt I'll be seeing you at Summerslam but one day we will do battle again" Punk replied cryptically._

 _Bryan laughed with a wry grin, chalking up Punk's comment to a small slight._

 _"Thanks for the match, champ. I'll see you again soon" Bryan pointed at his torso to symbolize the now-vacant WWE title, unbeknownst to the challenger._

 _Punk allowed himself to smile slightly at the exchange. Punk would never admit it, but he had tremendous respect for Daniel Bryan. Bryan was also a very proud man. For him to give respect to Punk meant the world. Perfect way to go out_ , Punk thought to himself.

 _Shortly after this exchange, Punk left the locker room for the final time. There was no fanfare. There were no teary goodbyes. Punk had only one stop to make, making his way over to the Divas locker room._

 _He had made this walk a hundred times but he couldn't bring himself to knock and announce his entry. While many guys busted in without a care in the world, Punk thought of himself as a gentleman_

" _You know, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask" came a voice from behind Punk._

 _Punk whirled around in surprise and came face to face with Eve Torres clad in only a towel_

 _"Eve, you know I'm not here to see you" Punk stated with slight irritation. Eve was a friend but Punk wasn't in the mood for flirting._

 _"Punk, I know you don't want to hear this but she doesn't want to see you" Eve replied with sympathy._

 _"I have to do this, Eve. I don't want to hurt her._

 _"I know you don't but she's hurt, Punk. Give her some time to be with herself. At least wait until Raw tomorrow. She's pretty broken up about it"_

 _"I won't be here tomorrow, Eve" Punk stated solemnly._

 _Eve tilted her head in confusion. "Taking a vacation?"_

 _"Something like that" Punk murmured to no one in particular._

 _"I won't ask but just be careful with her, Punk" Eve stated softly. "She's been through a lot."_

 _Will a small squeeze of the shoulder; Eve was gone, retreating into the Divas locker room. Punk took a deep breath and knocked reluctantly. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her but he couldn't leave things the way they were."_

 _The door opened and Punk locked eyes with a surprised AJ Lee. Clearly Eve hadn't immediately alerted her to his arrival._

 _"What do you want?" AJ asked. Her voice was soft but dripping with venom._

 _"I don't want to fight with you anymore, AJ. I'm so tired of doing this dance of death with you"_

 _"Well, that goes for both of us. I'm tired of being dragged in the mud by you."_

 _"AJ, you know I would never intentionally do that to you."_

 _"Do I? Do I know that, Punk? Because the way I see it, you used me as a crutch to retain your championship"_

 _"That's not it at all and I hope you know that. Everything that ever happened was genuine. The fact that I wouldn't marry you shouldn't take away from that."_

 _"I gave my heart to you, Phil" AJ sneered while using Punk's real name. "I risked my dream on you because I thought you were worth it. Do you have ANY idea how hard that was on me?" AJ countered with rising ferocity._

 _"Because this has been so easy on me, right?" Punk answered, his anger finally boiling to the surface. "It's been just a wonderful life, huh? It's fun being pushed through tables and screwed over by the person you thought you loved" Punk shouted._

 _"As if it's that simple. Don't you dare make this seem like my fault. In fact, I don't want you doing a damn thing. Get out of my face and please just get out of my life" AJ nearly pleaded with Punk._

 _Punk's eyes softened with sadness, looking at the woman in front of him. They had mutually destroyed each other. They had gotten inside each other's heads more so than either of them could have ever imagined._

 _"Well, you'll get your wish. Consider this my farewell." Punk spoke almost at a whisper. Before AJ could respond, Punk was gone, halfway to Chicago by the time her mouth opened._

 _End Flashback_

A lot had changed since that night. Punk had to admit, he spent a lot of time sitting on his couch in Chicago. But Punk was too driven to spend the rest of his life watching re-runs of _The Wire._ The itch to get back in the ring and do what he loved was too strong to ignore. His addiction was wrestling.

That's how he found himself outside Vince McMahon's office for the first time in eleven months. Punk wasn't nervous. He didn't get nervous. Yet, he found himself hesitating briefly before entering the office of the man he cursed out some eleven months ago. With a sigh and a deep breath, Punk re-entered the wrestling world.


	2. Chapter 2

"Vince" Punk stated with a nod

"Punk" Vince replied, looking up for the first time.

"Ready to make millions off me?"

"That depends on the cost"

"There won't be one"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Would I be here if I wasn't?"

"I just need to know if I need to do a cost-benefit analysis first"

"Vince, come on. It's me."

"You've said this before. You're running out of strikes."

"You know what they say, the third time is the charm"

"This is your last chance, Punk. You're a once in a lifetime talent. But don't think I won't toss you out on the street if it comes to it"

"I think we both know you're capable of doing that, Vince. No need to prove to me that your balls are bigger than everyone else's."

"I mean it, Punk. You fuck this up? I'll make sure you never work another match in this country again"

"Understood, boss"

The room was silent for a moment. The two headstrong men looked each other in the eyes in understanding. For the chairman, it was a sign of forgiveness. It had taken him the full year to make peace with the champion who had walked out on him. For the superstar, it was a sign of gratitude, for being given one last chance to make his mark on the sports entertainment industry.

"Vince" Punk held out his hand, reflecting upon the beginning of their conversation.

"Punk" Vince nodded in understanding, shaking his superstar's hand.

With a nod, Punk departed the office of the chairman. His work was done for now. He couldn't go to the locker room; No one knew he was returning tonight, except his opponent for the evening, Chris Jericho. Always the professional, Jericho had agreed to give him his return match, knowing they could put on a show. Granted, Jericho wasn't Punk's first choice. That would be Dolph Ziggler.

 _Dolph Ziggler_. Even saying the name in his head made Punk roll his eyes. In addition to an awful name, Ziggler was a pompous asshole. He cut corners, turned on his friends, and was an arrogant son of a bitch.

 _And he's dating AJ Lee_ his brain reminded him. But that had nothing to do with it, of course. Punk had put AJ far out of his head. Hadn't he? They hadn't spoken since Money in the Bank. She had moved on, and so had he. Granted, his romantic life wasn't exactly flowing. But that was normal, right? Punk was quite happy being alone, and even if not, everyone went through dry spells.

Punk's thought process was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around in defense, Punk came face to face with Chris Jericho. Breathing a sigh of relief, Punk dropped his fist.

"Jesus, Jericho, you know you can't do that to me"

"Oh, lighten up, Punk" Jericho started. "You should be celebrating. You get to go one-on-one with the ayatollah of rock and rolla tonight" Jericho stated with a laugh.

"Oh, lucky me" Punk stated with a sarcastic grin.

"Hey, we're going to steal the show tonight. Cena and Ryback won't know what hit them," Jericho surmised.

"Can't say I disagree with you on that point" Punk admitted.

"Hey, I gotta finish my preparation. Perfection doesn't happen this easily. I'll see you out there, _champ_ " Jericho grinned and left Punk to his own thoughts.

Before he knew it, the time had come. Jericho was in the ring making an open challenge. This was his cue. Punk made his way to the gorilla position, passing by some shocked faces along the way. As the familiar static sound echoed throughout the All-State Arena, Punk made his way through the curtain.

Nothing could have prepared Punk for the astounding ovation he received from the Chicago crowd in that moment. Punk took a moment to soak it all in- the fans, the arena, the atmosphere. It was one not unlike the ovation he received at Money in the Bank two years ago. Jolted back to life only by the voice of Justin Roberts, Punk made his way down to the ring with his mentor by his side.

 _Making his return, from CHICAGO, ILLINOIS_ , _weighing in at 215 lbs, CM Punk!_

30 minutes later, CM Punk watched as veteran referee Charles Robinson counted Jericho's shoulders down for the 3 count. As he soaked in the adoration of his hometown, the superstar had only one thought: CM Punk was back.

Weary, but content, Punk made his way through the curtain and was greeted immediately by one Triple H.

" _...Doofus son in law"_

 _"...Share the same opinions and philosophies that a guy who looks like me..."_

 _"Until you're no longer COO..."_

 _". This is Phil Brooks talking to Paul Levesque..."_

The relationship between CM Punk and Triple H had always been tenacious at best. In Punk's mind, Triple H was Vince Jr. minus the positive qualities. Vince could be reasoned with, but the same couldn't be said for his son in law. Known as "The Cerebral Assassin", Triple H was as talented at manipulating talent as he was beating them inside the ring.

"Let's talk in my office" Triple H said and made a quick move to start walking. Such was the nature of Triple H. He assumed a yes and asked questions later.

"I'm going to shower first" Punk replied with mild irritation.

Triple H let out an audible sigh and kept walking; only acknowledging Punk through a wave of his hand.

Punk rolled his eyes. He had been back all of one hour and his irritation with management was already back. With a sigh of his own, he made his way to the locker room for the first time.

"Well, I'll be damned" came the voice of an excited Kofi Kingston, moving several superstars out of the way to embrace Punk. Kofi had always been one of Punk's closest friends on the roster, giving Punk a confidante for his frustrations. Kofi was also one of the few superstars that Punk kept in contact with during his hiatus. Punk didn't trust many people in his life but Kofi was near the top of the list, behind perhaps only Paul Heyman.

"Kofi, you knew I'd be here. I told you two weeks ago" Punk exclaimed. Though pretending to be irritated, Punk was thrilled to see his former road wife.

"Yeah but actually seeing it in person is another thing. You looked a little rusty out there though. Looks like you've gained a little bit of weight since the last time I saw you" Kofi teased, patting Punk's stomach.

"Not as much as your fat ass. How many cheeseburgers have you had today?" Punk teased back.

"Hey, I have a very demanding physical job, you know. It's not easy bringing happiness to 20,000 people on a nightly basis." Kofi replied.

"Kofi, we have the exact same job!"

"That you've had all of one day! Your match was over ten minutes ago and you're still breathing hard."

"Okay, so I'm not in amazing shape. Perfection takes time. I don't need a master physique to dominate in the ring."

"You keep telling yourself that, Porky." Kofi grinned.

"Oh, fuck you, you bastard." Punk exclaimed, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Can we stop with the love affair please?" came a voice from behind the two men.

Punk whirled around and came face to face with the last man he wanted to see tonight: Dolph Ziggler

 _Flashback- December 2012_

 _"You know what one of my favorite things I've missed about being off the road? Popcorn. I can eat popcorn now. I haven't eaten popcorn in probably 6 years. Leaving has got to be the greatest decision I've ever made" Punk said._

 _"I would appreciate it if my brother didn't clog his arteries, please" came the voice of Chez, Punk's honorary little sister. "I thought you were a pescetarian anyway."_

 _"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy popcorn," Punk said, obnoxiously stuffing his mouth full of popcorn, to her disapproval._

 _"When you end up having a heart attack, I'm not going to feel sorry for you" Chez admonished him._

 _Punk laughed and threw a kernel of popcorn at his sister._

 _"Oh you son of a bitch" Chez yelled playfully, grabbing Punk's bag out of his hand, and pelting him with kernels._

 _Punk was too busy laughing to be upset over his lack of popcorn. The ringing of a cell phone interrupted their popcorn fight._

 _After a few seconds of fumbling around in his new, buttery mess, Punk was able to retrieve his cell phone._

 _"Hey Kofi, how did it go?" Punk asked. Tonight was TLC, WWE's final pay-per-view of the year and Punk knew that Kofi was defending his title tonight._

 _"Kicked Wade's ass of course. That British bastard had no idea what hit him" replied the still-Intercontinental champion._

 _"Hoped you kicked him out of the WWE entirely. He's been a nuisance ever since the Nexus days" said Punk._

 _"Well, I don't think I'll have to worry about him for awhile. Trouble in Paradise hit him so hard, he'll be feeling that for a month"_

 _"That's my guy. Thanks for calling with an update"_

 _"Uh Punk...there's something else"_

 _"What's up, Kofi?_

 _"Well..."_

 _"Don't bullshit me. Just tell me already."_

 _"It's AJ."_

 _Kofi was greeted with abrupt silence. Kofi sighed. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up._

 _"Look...I didn't want to tell you...but I thought you should know."_

 _"Out with it already" Punk replied angrily._

 _"She's with Ziggler" Kofi responded._

 _"...Are you sure?"_

 _"She pushed John Cena off a ladder. I'm sure."_

 _When Kofi didn't receive a response, he continued:_

 _"Listen, Punk...-"_

 _Kofi wouldn't hear any further response as Punk hung up on his best friend._

 _"Punk..." Chez said softly. It wasn't cast with sympathy. Her brother hated that. It was cast with a mutual understanding between the two of them. She was there for him, no matter the problem._

 _"I know. Just give me some time." Punk replied._

 _Chez retreated, leaving Punk to his own devices. This was a potentially dangerous move but her brother could handle himself._

 _A million emotions were running through Punk's head. Sadness. Confusion. Jealousy. Relief. Anger. Betrayal. He couldn't make sense of any of them. He had finally gotten her out of his head. It had taken him five months but he felt ready to move on. Or did he? Punk lacked closure, re-calling his last conversation with AJ. It was brief, insignificant even. They hadn't spoken since Money in the Bank. AJ had called. 2? 3 times maybe? He didn't answer; she didn't leave a voicemail. Punk tried to rationalize it to himself. If she had really wanted to talk to him, she could have. 3 phone calls didn't indicate much of an effort. Then again, it's not like he put forth much of an effort either. He had made exactly zero attempts to contact his former lover. He had no right to be jealous over anyone with whom she gets involved._

 _And yet Punk knew the growing burn in his chest had nothing to do with the Mexican food he had eaten earlier that day._

 _End Flashback_

"Make room for the World Heavyweight Champion" sneered the brash champion.

"Not for long" Punk muttered under his breath.

"Aww, what's wrong, Punk? Feeling down because your old ass is out of shape? Can't believe it took you half an hour to beat Jericho's carcass"

"Hardly" Punk scoffed and rolled his eyes. He didn't want to get into it with this arrogant son of a bitch. Not yet. Not now.

"Oh wait, I know. It's because you don't have your plaything to kick around anymore" Dolph said, putting himself into Punk's personal space. "You know you really hurt her. It took her months to let anyone in again"

"Took eight tries before you guiled her into going out with you I see. Damn. I had 12 in the pool" Punk replied.

"Punk, let's go. He's not worth it" said a nervous Kofi Kingston.

"I have better things to do anyway. In fact, you might actually know her." Dolph winked and sauntered away.

"That bastard" Punk muttered to no one in particular.

With a grunt, Punk headed in the opposite direction, making a beeline for the office of WWE's Chief Operating Officer.


	3. Chapter 3

If Triple H was surprised that Punk didn't knock on his door before entering, he didn't show it. That wouldn't be like the straight edge superstar. Their relationship was never built on formalities anyhow.

"What's up, Paul" Punk grabbed a seat on the couch and began to lounge comfortably.

Triple H couldn't help but glare. Since taking the office of COO almost two years ago, Punk had been a constant thorn in his side. From the contract controversy that took over the summer of 2011 to the drama surrounding his exit in 2012, wherever Punk went, drama followed.

"Listen, Punk. I just wanted to set down a few ground rules. Things have changed since the last time you were here."

Punk, already in a not-so-good mood, scoffed at Triple H's attempt at being an authority figure. "Come on, we're a little past this game, aren't we" Punk gave Triple H a disinterested glance.

"Hey you want to be a big guy around here again, you're going to have to follow the rules. Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine walking down that ramp and wiping the floor with your ass just like I did two years ago."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now why don't we cut to the chase and you tell me why I'm really here." Punk replied with obvious disdain. If there was one thing Punk hated more than Dolph Ziggler, it was having his time wasted, especially by people like Triple H.

Triple H sat back in his chair, chewing on a toothpick like he was Rocky Carroll on the set of _NCIS._ "AJ Lee." Triple H said with a point.

Punk's face immediately soured. His love life, or his former love life was not something he wanted to discuss with anyone, let alone his boss and arch-nemesis.

"What about her?"

"She's made a lot of strides here in the last year that you've been gone. She's more than just the diva you jerked around las-"

"Get to the fucking point, already."

"Still testy, I see" which elicited another eye roll from Punk.

"I'm not here to talk about my personal life."

"She's my divas champion now, in case you missed her match, which I have a feeling you didn't. That makes her my business. I don't want you getting in her head."

"What are you, banning me from seeing her?" Punk asked incredulously.

"You're not 5 years old, Punk, even if you act like a petulant one sometimes. I can't control what you do. But let me say this. If you do anything that affects the integrity of my show, we're going to have problems."

"Understood, _boss_."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me I have a lot o-"

Punk was gone before Triple H could even finish his sentence. He had had enough of this conversation and wasn't about to have Triple H of all people putting stipulations on his personal life.

"Let's go, Kofi" Punk stormed by the locker room as Kofi emerged fully dressed.

"Had a feeling you would say that" Kofi sighed and followed his friend. He didn't yet know what happened between Punk and Triple H but it didn't take a psychic to know it wasn't a positive interaction.

AJ Lee couldn't remove her hand from her jawline. As _Cult of Personality_ blared through the television in the women's locker room and faintly throughout the arena, AJ couldn't compose herself. Feeling a tear trying to escape, AJ quickly wiped her eyes and focused her attention on the television. As she heard Lillian Garcia announce her former lover's return, AJ was going through a bag of emotions. Shock probably topped the list, as did confusion, awe, and..happiness? Maybe? AJ sure as hell didn't know what she was feeling.

"Oh my god…" came a voice from behind the new divas champion. It was the voice of Eve Torres, AJ's closest friend in the WWE since the breakup of her friendship with Kaitlyn.

"Did you know about this?" Eve asked but AJ couldn't respond with anything more than a feeble shake of her head. Watching CM Punk walk down to the ring transported AJ into a time warp.

 _Flashback_

" _Gone?" AJ laughed nervously. "What the hell do you mean, gone?"_

" _I mean he's gone, AJ. Left. Disappeared. Crawled into a hermetically sealed hole where humans aren't allowed" Eve replied softly. She knew this news would be devastating to her friend. For all their differences and fights, they truly belonged together in Eve's mind._

" _But…what..that's impossible" AJ clamored with hope. "He's the WWE champion. He can't just leave…When is he coming back? Next week?" AJ asked, knowing the answer deep down but refusing to accept it. Punk was a recluse and when a recluse scares, they don't come out for a very long time._

 _Eve shook her head sadly. "No. He's not coming back next week. The news around the locker room is that the title will be forfeited and a match at Summerslam will determine a new champion."_

" _He won't stand for that. His championship means everything to him" AJ replied in confusion. This wasn't Punk. He wouldn't just abandon his championship, would he? Not after everything he's been working towards…_

 _ **And you?**_ _Came another voice from inside AJ's head. He wouldn't really abandon you, would he?_

" _He said last night to "consider this my farewell". Is that what he meant? Is he leaving because of me?_

" _I…don't know" Eve replied, stuck between lying to her best friend and protecting her._

" _You're just screwing with me, right? This is all some dramatic ploy to get me and him in the same room together or something?"_

 _Eve shook her head again but AJ wasn't so sure._

" _Fine, you want us to talk so badly? We'll talk. I hate these games" AJ muttered as she dashed out of the locker room._

" _AJ, wait!" Eve called but that wouldn't stop the determined diva who was quickly making a beeline for the men's locker room._

 _Ignoring all the sudden cries from the mostly disrobed male superstars, AJ quickly found the one person who would know where Punk was: Kofi Kingston._

" _Where is he, Kofi? I want to talk to him."_

" _He's not here AJ"_

" _So where is he?"_

" _Don't know. Away. He left."_

" _He's the WWE Champion. The WWE Champion doesn't just leave. Did Vince approve this?"_

" _I barely know anything more than you do, AJ. He called me last night and told me he'd be gone awhile and as far as I know, he forfeited the championship. That's all I know."_

" _Why would he do this? He won last night. I sure as hell didn't screw him over, as much as I wanted to."_

" _You know him, AJ. He beats to his own drum. You just have to roll with it."_

" _Well, I'm not just going to "roll with it." I'm getting his ass back here" AJ muttered and stomped out of the locker room._

 _End Flashback_

AJ followed that confrontation with a heated confrontation with Vincent Kennedy McMahon, one that probably would have cost AJ her career had she been any other diva. She was iced out and kept away from championship opportunities for months afterwards, wrapping herself in GM drama with Vickie Guerrero.

She'd never admit it but the sudden departure of CM Punk hurt AJ more than she could have ever imagined. Her phone calls elicited no response and a lone visit to his house led her to a closed door, rather than closure.

Now, nearly a year later, here he was preparing to take on Chris Jericho just a couple hundred feet from where she was standing.

"AJ…AJ…AJ" Eve shook her close friend who had seemingly fallen into a trance, eyes focused on the television. "Are you alright?"

"I um….I have to go" AJ grabbed her bag and darted out of the women's locker room. She couldn't take the chance of seeing him after his match. She couldn't handle that.

It had been three hours since " _Cult of Personality"_ hit the speakers at the All-State Arena and AJ hadn't yet removed her ex from her mind. Pacing around her hotel room didn't help her collect her thoughts either.

"Maybe I'll go get a candy bar" said AJ to no one in particular.

 _But what if he's in the elevator? Or in the stairwell? Or at the vending machines_

AJ wasn't safe. She was trapped in her room until Dolph came home. The chance of seeing Punk loomed everywhere and she wasn't ready to take that chance.

On cue, " _The Showoff"_ dejectedly entered the hotel room, sans the World Heavyweight Championship.

 _Oh Fuck, his match_ AJ thought to herself.

"Hey baby, how did it go…? AJ asked, already knowing the answer from the look on Dolph's face.

"Where the hell have you been all night?" Dolph asked incredulously.

"I…um…was celebrating with Eve" AJ replied, referring to her Divas Championship win.

"I thought you were going to come out with me, or at least come find me after the match. I've been texting and calling all night. Why didn't you respond?" Dolph asked.

"I'm sorry, my phone died and I couldn't find you so I just came back here" AJ apologized.

"Did you not think to look in the trainer's room?"

"The trainer's room? Why? What happened" AJ replied with worry

 _Shit_ AJ sighed, realizing she just blew her story wide open.

"What happened? You didn't even watch my match, did you? Alberto kicked the shit out of me. I'm not the World Heavyweight Champion anymore. I lost my first defense. Good to see I have a strong support system to deal with it" Dolph muttered in disgust.

"Well I told you that you weren't ready to come back yet…" AJ began.

"Do you really think that's what I need to hear right now? God, AJ. I really needed you tonight and you were off celebrating with Eve. This was a hard enough day before my match."

"Why, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter now but _for the sake of honesty"_ Dolph stressed, "I will tell you"

"I ran into Punk earlier and it pissed me off."

"You talked to Punk? What did you say?" AJ asked a little too aggressively for Dolph's taste.

"What did I say? Have you forgotten that you're with me now? God, why don't you go fawn over him some more." Dolph spat.

" I am _NOT_ fawning over him" AJ exclaimed. "Sorry for trying to be supportive."

Their argument was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. AJ's screen lit up and Dolph grabbed it off the bed.

"Not now, Eve" Dolph said in a surprisingly calm but stern voice.

"Oh…" Eve started, clearly caught off guard ",,,I was just trying to see if AJ was okay."

"Yeah, why wouldn't she be?" Dolph questioned aggressively.

"Because…well…"

"Eve, tell me something. Where were you during my match?"

AJ's eyes lit up, knowing where Dolph's questioning was going. She tried to grab the phone from him but his height made that task impossible.

"I was in the locker room still. I didn't leave until after the event, why?" Eve said and AJ's heart sunk.

"Just wondering, thanks" Dolph said and shut AJ's phone before throwing it on the bed.

"So there goes lie number 2. What's lie number 3 going to be, huh?" Dolph exclaimed.

AJ was silent, unable to face her boyfriend.

"Where were you really during my match?"

"I was here, at the hotel"

"Alone?"

"Alone…Yes I was alone. Who would I be with?"

Dolph raised his eyes in a knowing glance. "Who the hell do you think?"

It quickly dawned on AJ who he was referring to. "Punk? You think I was with Punk?"

"Well it's awfully convenient isn't it? The first night he shows up here in a year is the first time you miss a match of mine in 5 months. Raw, Smackdown, or live event, you've always watched my match, even when you've had a match before or after me. What am I supposed to think?"

"Look, Dolph, I promise you, I was not with Punk. I haven't seen him and I'm not going to see him. I was just as surprised as you were when he showed up here. I promise you that there is nothing going on between us."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Dolph, it's me!" AJ exclaimed, her voice cracking just the slightest. "You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Well I'm not so sure anymore."

"Then let me prove it to you." AJ replied, walking up to Dolph and wrapping her legs around him.

"AJ, what are yo-" Dolph was interrupted by the smashing of her lips on his as their momentum carried them to the bed.

"I'm going to show you exactly how much I love you" AJ said, running a hand down his chest and towards his sweatpants.

Dolph groaned in appreciation and reciprocated. The connection between AJ and her former flame was troublesome and her whereabouts for the night still remained mostly unknown. But that investigation would simply have to wait until tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

It was admittedly fleeting. They were virtual strangers in April, star-crossed lovers by June and strangers again by August. The relationship between AJ Lee and CM Punk was not lengthy but it was full of the most passionate moments of AJ's life.

She so rarely encountered people who understood her the way that he did, and she admittedly missed it. Not the relationship. That was enough trouble. But the connection they had was unparalleled.

He was the yin to her yang, the spice to her sugar, and the black to her white, even as they both preferred living in shades of grey.

Not that Dolph wasn't amazing. He was. But in a different way. Dolph was (usually) sweet, caring, and protective. He had stunning blue eyes and chiseled abs but he lacked the fire that she had with Punk.

 _What are you doing, AJ? You love Dolph_ a little voice spoke to her in her head.

Yes, she did love Dolph. But did she also love Punk? There was a time where the answer to that would have been yes.

 _Flashback_

" _How could you have possibly burnt toast?" Punk asked with a laugh._

" _It's harder than it looks, alright!" AJ replied._

 _The two superstars were enjoying a morning together in Punk's home of Chicago. They hadn't been together long but both felt a true connection to one another._

 _With a show in Springfield the night before, AJ and Punk had two days to themselves before they had to fly to St. Louis for Raw. So here they found themselves enjoying what was supposed to be a romantic breakfast._

" _It's bread for god's sake!" Punk was nearly falling off his chair with enjoyment at his girlfriend's futile attempt at making him breakfast in bed. Unfortunately for AJ, the smell of smoke roused the WWE Champion._

" _Hey, it's not my fault that I got distracted! You left this interesting book right out here on the table and you expect me not to read it?"_

" _Are you really trying to say that you got so enveloped in a book in the three minutes that it takes to make toast that you didn't notice it was burning?"_

" _Don't use logic on me, mister. You're the one who said you liked your toast on the crispy side"_

" _Yeah, crispy like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, not the dead body of a squirrel!"_

" _Oh come on, it's not that bad"_

" _It's 100% black!"_

" _Uh, no. There's no way this is more than 93% black."_

" _You're insane" Punk chuckled._

" _Then it's a good thing you dig crazy chicks" AJ smirked._

" _Damn right" Punk replied, walking behind AJ and wrapping his arms around her._

" _I'm glad you're here," He whispered._

" _Glad to be here"_

" _Wanna burn some French toast together?"_

" _How about we just go out to breakfast?"_

" _Deal."_

 _End Flashback_

AJ reluctantly got up to go shower, leaving the warm comfort of her bed. Dolph was a snuggler and there is little she wanted to do less than leave his warm embrace.

"You want some company?" came a voice sandwiched between a couple of pillows

"No, you get some rest" AJ whispered and walked into the bathroom. As high as shower sex was on her list of favorite activities, AJ wasn't exactly in the mood right now with her mind on her two favorite men.

 _My two favorite men? Where the hell did that come from?_ AJ thought to herself.

As she got in the shower, AJ was overcome with emotion. Finally being able to release it, she cried softly to herself.

What was he doing back here? Was it for her? Did it have anything to do with her at all? AJ didn't know and it was slowly killing her, even if it had only been 12 hours.

Right on cue, the bathroom door opened and in stepped her loving boyfriend.

"Hey, Ace, where is th-…hey what's wrong?" Dolph noticed AJ's tears.

"Uhh…nothing" AJ quickly tried to wipe her tears away but to no avail.

"Come here" Dolph motioned and joined AJ in the shower. "Talk to me, Ace. What's going on?"

"I'm just so sad I missed your match last night" AJ recovered on the fly.

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to worry. Let's focus on the good things. You're the fucking Divas Champion! We've been working towards this for so long. Let's enjoy it."

"Okay…" AJ said in a half-hearted tone. She was excited to be the Divas Champion. If it weren't for the fact that _someone_ was taking up most of her headspace, it would be all she would be thinking about.

"Now, come on. We're going to celebrate later but for now I just ruined this pair of clothes so I'm going to go get changed. Sure you don't want some company?" Dolph asked with a smirk.

"Go get dressed, babe." AJ said, turning around to give him a nice view before he left.

With another smirk, he was gone and AJ was left alone with her thoughts once more.

With a sigh, AJ hopped out of the shower. This was going to be a long day. She just knew it.

That night at Raw, AJ sat back in her chair in the Divas locker room watching the main event. She already had an exhausting night, having been reamed out by Stephanie McMahon an hour ago.

Admittedly, she probably deserved it. She knew she was being a little arrogant but dammit, she deserved to be. But at the same time, keeping humble was important as well.

Now she sat back watching her ex flame battle her current flame's rival, Alberto Del Rio. AJ never particularly liked Del Rio but he seemed to be turning a corner the last few months before brutalizing her boyfriend the previous night at _Payback._ Granted, as Jim Ross would say, this isn't ballet but Del Rio took things to an unnecessary level, especially on someone who had recently suffered a concussion. Dolph was in the trainer's room right now for his 24-hour evaluation.

Speaking of her darling boyfriend, " _I'm Here to Show the World"_ suddenly hit the speakers in the Van Andel Arena.

 _Oh fuck_ AJ thought as Dolph sprinted towards Punk and Del Rio.

Luckily, the gods were on AJ's side as Dolph ignored Punk completely to focus his attack on Del Rio. AJ watched as Dolph and Del Rio brawled up the ramp-way before being broken up by officials.

Punk, remaining in the ring, shrugged his shoulders at his effortless victory. However, as Justin Roberts announced his victory, a familiar rumble echoed throughout the arena.

 _Oh no_ AJ thought to herself as Brock Lesnar's music hit and The Beast himself appeared at the top of the ramp with a sly smile on his face.

Punk, who was clearly not expecting Lesnar's arrival, stared quizzically as Lesnar made his way to the ring.

30 seconds later, AJ watched as Punk fell victim to an F5 from Paul Heyman's second client. AJ winced heavily as Punk's body crippled to the floor. She had never had the joy of experiencing an F5 but merely watching it made her cringe.

Deciding to go find her boyfriend, AJ abandoned her chair. She had gotten into enough trouble the previous night for not doing just that. She wasn't about to let that happen again.

Punk grimaced as he entered the familiar trainer's room for the first time since his return. That F5 hurt like hell and he had the emerging bruise on his ribs to show for it.

"Hey Chris, can you tape me up?" Punk asked Chris Amann, Raw's physican and right hand man.

"Sure thing, Punk" Chris said and began grabbing materials for his new patient.

"Hey Chris, can you hel—oh hey" came a new voice entering the training room. Punk turned around and came locked eyes with Kaitlyn, someone with whom he was very familiar.

 _Flashback_

" _So, Punk. Do I have to give you the talk or do you know the creek you'll be up without a paddle?"_

" _Come again?"_

" _The creek you'll be up? If you hurt her, that is."_

" _I'm not going to hurt her, Kate"_

" _You've said that before. Look what happened with Amy"_

" _Hey, that's not fair. You know what happened there."_

" _True but still. I don't want her hurt. She's been through enough with Bryan."_

" _You think I don't know that?"_

" _I know you know that. If you didn't, this would be an entirely different speech."_

" _So what are you trying to say?"_

" _I'm saying that AJ is my best friend. And she's well liked. If you break her heart, someone's going to break your face. And by someone, I mean me."_

" _Duly noted, Kate. I'm in this for the long haul. You know I don't take relationships lightly."_

" _Oh is that why you always turned me down?" Kaitlyn said cheekily._

" _You know that didn't have anything to do with you. The timing was always bad. But I'm in this with her. This is the most serious thing I've done in a long time."_

" _I know that. You better make her happy."_

" _She's a special girl. I very much intend on doing just that."_

" _Good. Otherwise I will kick your ass."_

" _I'd be disappointed if you didn't."_

 _End Flashback_

"Hey Kate…" Punk said with a slight grin. He hadn't seen the now-former Divas Champion in months."

"Punk" Kaitlyn nodded towards her somewhat-former friend. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise. Wasn't sure if I ever would again."

"Chris, can you work on my shoulder again? It's been in bad shape since last night." Kaitlyn asked.

"Black Widow?" asked Punk, in reference to his former girlfriend's signature maneuver.

"How'd you know?"

"Let's just say I've been on the receiving end myself."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"Well, I fucked up a few things, per usual."

"Hardly your fault" Kaitlyn scoffed.

"Bad moves by everyone involved in the situation" Punk replied.

"Does that include me?"

"Nah. You're perfect."

"Oh, Punk, you big softie"

"Shut it."

The two remained silent for a moment. Unlike a typical Punk silence, this was rather comfortable, featuring two people who were completely content being in the same room as one another without words.

"Chris, can you give us a moment?" Punk suddenly said prompting a quizzical look from Kaitlyn.

Once the trainer left the room, Kaitlyn responded.

"What's up?"

"I missed you."

"Who are you and what have you done with Punk?"

"I'm being serious, Kate."

"So am I! You don't say things like that."

"Well, I've changed since the last time you've seen me."

"Somehow I doubt that"

"You want to get a drink?"

"Punk, you don't drink. Unless that has changed too."

"Okay, want to get drunk and let me watch."

"Punk, we can't do this."

"Give me a reason why not."

"Because I'm with Bryan now. And it wouldn't solve anything. One hour won't heal you."

"Danielson, really? Oh you could so much better. And I think it would be significantly north of one hour."

"Don't kid yourself. And Bryan is a sweetheart. You remember what that's like, don't you? To be a person?"

"Fine, spoil my fun."

"Punk, there's a locker room full of divas you could work your magic on if you wanted."

"Yeah but I don't want them."

"Never stopped you before."

"Ouch"

"Hey, it's true. You don't want me either. Even I know who you're gunning for."

"I'm not gunning for AJ."

"I didn't say you were, dumbass."

"Yeah but you were thinking it. I thought you'd hate her by now."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I do. That bitch deserves all that's coming to her. But you can't help love."

"I'm not in love with her."

"Sure, and pigs can fly and these nails are 100% real."

"Oh good, I can ride one home to Chicago then."

"Still at your old place?"

"You think I've moved in the last 7 months?"

"Hell, I don't know anymore…you could've called."

"You could've not ducked out."

"Not my finest moment. But hey. We'll always have Chicago."

"Well I do live there."

"Way to ruin a moment."

"It's what I do best."

"Anyways, I should get going. This shoulder isn't going to heal itself."

"But you haven't gotten taped up yet."

"Yeah, but I have someone to do that for me. See you around, Punk." Kaitlyn winked and with the slightest skip in her step, she was gone.

Punk sighed and leaned back in his chair. It had been a stressful two days for the former WWE champion and he was looking forward to a night to himself at the nearest motel.

"Hey Chris, I just wanted to wait until Kai—" AJ stopped in her tracks as she came face to face with her ex lover.

"Hey stranger."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey stranger."

With those two words, Punk dropped back into a world he didn't think he'd ever set forth in again. Punk watched as AJ's face went through a series of emotions. First it was confusion that settled over her brown eyes, then recognition and shock.

"I…I was looking for Dolph." AJ managed to stammer out.

"That would make sense."

"He's my boyfriend." AJ said in a tone that was supposed to be matter-of-fact but came out rather weak.

Punk smirked slightly and moved a bit closer to AJ.

"I see that I can still make you nervous."

"Why would I be nervous?"

"Why do you think?

"You're the one who mentioned it."

"I don't know but I can see your lip quivering" Punk said and reached out to tousle her bangs.

His hand was promptly slapped away by a defiant AJ.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What I used to do. And what I want to do again."

"That boat sailed long ago. What are you even doing back here?"

"I'm here to get my ribs taped up."

"Uh-huh."

"And why would you expect your beau to be here? I doubt it's just a coincidence that I'm here and you're here."

"Don't flatter yourself. You saw first-hand what happened with Del Rio."

"Yeah, your boyfriend's one hell of an instigator."

"Shut it. He got killed out at Payback. He deserves revenge."

"Hey, not my problem if your boyfriend can't keep his championship around his waist."

"If I recall correctly, you needed a briefcase to win a world championship, Punk."

"Are you forgetting when I beat Del Rio two years ago? You know? That guy that kicked Dolph's ass yesterday?"

"Fuck you, Punk."

"That's another option, AJ."

That prompted AJ to get right in Punk's face. "How dare you…" AJ muttered and walked away.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the truth?" Punk called.

AJ stopped in her tracks and sighed. "Fine. You want to go here. Let's go here." AJ walked back and got in her ex-boyfriend's personal space.

"You want the truth, Punk? I've got plenty of truth for you. The fact of the matter is this. YOU walked out on me. Don't you dare try and put that on me because it was you who decided to leave after Money in the Bank."

"I gave you a chance that night, AJ. Don't put this all on me. I came to your door and you didn't want to listen."

"Well how was I supposed to know you were going to go off and abandon your dream that night? And where were you when I called? You didn't seem to have any problem not answering my phone calls."

"I didn't abandon my dream."

"Oh then what do you call leaving behind everything you've worked for your entire life? Leaving behind Kofi and the WWE Championship and the fans and…" AJ stopped as a single word hung on her tongue.

"You. And you. That's what you were going to say, isn't it?"

"Punk, you left. You don't get to comment on my life anymore. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"You don't want to do this dance of death again? Fine by me. Then go walk out that door. But listen to me, AJ. If you have even the slightest, most miniscule doubt in your mind that perhaps you just might want this, then stay here and finish this conversation with me."

"What's it going to be, AJ?"

"I…" AJ started.

"Ace, are you in here?" came a voice from the other side of the room as Dolph Ziggler poked his head in at the most inopportune time.

"What's going on?" Dolph inquired with a slight accusing tone.

"Nothing. I was just leaving." AJ concluded her conversation with a blank stare and joined her boyfriend.

As she left the room, Punk kept his eyes trained on the Divas champion. He couldn't read her. She was going to say something before Dolph interrupted. He just knew it. He didn't know where she was going but it gave him the slightest bit of hope.

 _I thought you didn't care anymore_ Punk's mind interjected.

Punk sighed as he ran a hand over his ribs. This was not good for his stress level.

" _You've reached Paul Heyman. Leave a message after the tone."_

"Goddammit, Paul" Punk muttered and leaned back on his couch in Chicago. It had been five days since Brock Lesnar had dropped him with an F-5 and he had yet to reach his confidante and former manager.

Could Paul have really put a hit on him like that? Punk couldn't believe it. Paul had been with him since the beginning. It was Paul who pushed for him to be hired. It was Paul who pushed him to be brought up to the main roster. It was Paul who pushed for him on ECW and got him his first championship opportunity. Paul had believed in him through and through.

"Still can't reach him, huh?" said Chez, joining her brother on the couch.

"Nope." Punk said with a disappointed tone. He was starting to get worried. It wasn't unlike Paul to be a little slow returning messages but for Punk to not hear from him for nearly a week was concerning.

"You know Paul. He can be erratic sometimes." Chez replied.

"I know…" Punk trailed off in frustration.

"Let's talk about something else."

"Got something in mind, Chez?"

Chez gave Punk a knowing look.

"Oh no, I am not getting into that" Punk immediately stopped her.

"It's the elephant in the room, bro. We have to talk about it sooner or later."

"Well I'd much prefer later."

"Have you spoken to her yet?"

"What happened to doing this later?"

"That was you that said that, not me."

"Well my point still stands."

"Stop avoiding this conversation."

"I'm not avoiding; I'm procrastinating."

"What's the difference?"

"One is delaying a conversation; the other is eliminating it all together."

"Fine, you're procrastinating. But we still have to have this conversation."

"Chez…"

"Punk."

"What do you want to know?"

"Have you talked to her?"

"Who?"

"Joan of Arc, who do you think? April."

"You know she hates when you call her that."

"You're avoiding again."

"Procrastinating."

"Avoiding; procrastinating; who gives a shit. Answer my question."

"What was that again?"

"Have you talked to her?"

"Yes, I've talked to her, so what?"

"Well…" Chez began, looking for details

"Well…" Punk replied sarcastically

"Punk!"

"What?"

"What happened?"

"It didn't go well, okay?"

"Ugh, how did you screw it up this time?"

"Why do you assume I screwed it up?"

"Because you always screw things up."

"Thanks."

"Hey, you know I'm just busting your balls. What happened?"

Punk sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He really didn't want to have this conversation right now. He loved Chez to death but her stubbornness and desire to support her brother really got on his nerves sometimes.

"I fucked up, Chez. I got a little too aggressive."

"Of course you did. What did you say?"

"I taunted her about Ziggler."

"Oh, Punk…"

"Hey that asshole deserves it. And she deserves better. If she can't see that…"

"Deserves better like you?"

"No, not like…this is not about me. This is about her choosing someone who will stomp on her heart the first chance he gets."

"Oh, because you didn't do that?"

"That's not fair. I did what I had to do. And we were broken up at the time. Ziggler will leave her the second he sees a shiny new plaything."

"That's probably true but you're not going to win her over by insulting her boyfriend."

"Who says I'm trying to win her over?"

"Who do I look like to you? It's me, Punk. I know you. Of course you still love her. You've been walking around with a torched look in your eyes for a year because you can't get her out of your mind."

"Thank you, Dr. Strangelove for your brilliant analysis."

"Hey, I'm just saying…you want her? Go get her."

"I have more important things to deal with right now."

"Like what? Sitting around like a lost puppy waiting for Paul to call? Go out and get her, you little bitch!"

"I'm not sitting around like a lost puppy. I had one day off and I thought maybe I'd spend it with someone I sorta can tolerate."

"How sweet of you to say. Who knew you had a heart, Tin Man?"

"Can we just watch the movie please? I've been really looking forward to seeing this film."

"What, _Spotlight?_ You didn't even know what it was when we picked it out!"

"Yeah well, now I've had time to read up about it and I want to see it."

"Fine, but this conversation is not over."

"One might even say we're procrastinating it" Punk said with a grin.

"I hate you."

"Hate you too, sis."

 **A/N: Short chapter here. Expect the next chapter to be a bit longer. Hope you guys are liking this story. Criticism and suggestions are always welcome!**


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